Method of utilizing exhaust-steam.



' PATENTED NOV. 7, 1905.

L. P. BURROWS, METHOD OF UTILIZING EXHAUST STEAM.

APPLIUATION FILED FEB.15, 1902.

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PATENTED N0vf7, 1905.

L. P. BURROWS. METHOD OF UTILIZING EXHAUST STEAM.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 15, 1902.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LINUS P. BURROWS, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR TOBURROWS DEVELOPMENT COMPANY. OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ACORPORATION OF MAINE.

METHOD OF UTILIZING EXHAUST-STEAM- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. '7, 1905.

Application filed February 15, 1902. Serial No. 94,226.

To ctZl whom, it TIMI/110077106771.

Be it known that I, LINUS P. BURROWS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Washington. District of Columbia, have invented new anduseful Improvements in Methods of Utilizing Exhaust-Steam, of which thefollowing is a specification.

According to this invention exhaust-steam from an engine is subjected tosudden expansion and passed through a gas-generatingdevice situated inthe fire-box of the steamboiler and is thereby converted intoagaseousproduct which is ejected into the fire-box and burned in conjunctionwith any solid, liquid, or gaseous fuel, thereby promoting combustionand reducing the consumption of said fuel.

While the apparatus required for carrying out this process necessarilyincludes a steamexpansion chamber and gas-generator, the preciseconstruction is capable of wide modification. For the purpose ofillustration I have shown in the accompanyingdrawings an apparatus whichis in actual working operation and drawn to scale.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the apparatus.Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of the boiler, with gasgenerators and burners. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the gasgenerators and burners removed from the fire-box, and Figs. 4:, 5, 6 aredetail views of the expansion and precipitation chamber.

Steam at the usual working pressuresay from eighty to one hundred poundsper square inchis taken from the dome l of the steamboiler 2 and carriedthrough pipe 3 to the cylinder A of the engine. The exhaust-steam fromthe engine, which it is the purpose of this invention to utilize, iscarried through pipe 5 into a large expansion radiation andprecipitation chamber 6. This chamber is shown as a cylindrical drum ofthin boileriron arranged horizontally in proximity to the engine and.having water-outlet pipe 26. The exhaust-steam pipe 5 preferably entersthe chamber through the middle of one of its ends and extends axially toa point indicated. On the top of this chamber is a dome 7 from which theexpanded and dried steam passes into a delivery-pipe 8. Aweightedpop-valve 9 leads from pipe 8 near dome 7 into the atmosphere and servesto maintain asubstantially uniform pressure in pipe 8. Pipe 8 alsocontains a control-valve 10 and extends from chamber 6 to the steamboiler and passes through the front wall of the smoke-chamber and thencethrough one of the lire-tubes to the superheater or gas-generators.Adrippipe 11. with cock, leads downwardly from pipe 8 just before itenters the smoke-chamber.

The su perheaters or gas-generators are here shown as three in number,though the number may be increased or diminished, according to thevolume of steam to be gasified. Each generator consists of aset ofpipe-sections 12, preferably arranged in vertical series, the sectionsof each series being alternately connected at opposite ends by couplings13 to provide a zigzag passage. The expanded and dry steam is deliveredfrom pipe 8 through the coupling 14 and branch pipes 15, 16, and 17 intothe top section of each gas-generator and thence passes down the severalconvolutions to the bottom section. Connected to the lowermost sectionof each generator is a gas burner or burners 18. Each burner consists ofa section of pipe closed at the extreme end and having throughout itslength a series of gas-passages; The burners of the outer gas-generatorsare shown as-arranged in superposed pairs just inside of the generators.The burner of the middle generator is shown as arranged directly abovethis generator. The outer gas-generators are preferably so arrangedwithin the fire-box as to be subjected not only to the direct heat ofany fuel burned in the fire-box, but also to the heat radiated by theadjacent side walls of the fire-chamber. The position of these gasgenerators and burners can be varied as found desirable.

While the fire-box of the boiler is here shown with a grate for solidfuel, it may be heated by any other suitable means-for example, a gas oroil burner.

In the operation of this apparatus the exhaust-steam from the enginewhen discharged from pipe 5 into the central part of chamber 6 issubjected to sudden expansion, with diminution of pressure under suchconditions of temperature as to prevent any material condensation and toallow the watery particles that are held in suspension in the steam toseparate from the steam by gravity or otherwise and become deposited atthe bottom of the chamber. The water of precipitation is removed by asuitable valved outlet 26 at the bottom, this valve be'ing preferablycontrolled bya ball-float 27, which causes the water to flow off as soonas it rises to any considerable height in the bottom of the chamber. Thesteam thus deprived of its watery constituents now passes from the dome7 of the expansion-chamber into pipe 8. As the steam passes through thatportion of pipe 8 which lies within the smoke-chamber and one of thefire-tubes of the boiler it is superheated and thence delivered to thegas-generators. These gas-generators being arranged within the fire-boxin position to be heated to a high temperature serve to convert thesteam passing through them into a nascent gaseous product thatmaterially promotes combustion. This mode of utilizing exhaust-steam canobviously be applied with equal advantage to any steam-boiler and engineplant, whether stationary, marine, or locomotive.

Having described my invention, what I desire to claim as new and usefulis 1. The method of utilizing exhaust-steam,

. which consists in taking the steam from the exhaust-port of an engine,suddenly expanding the steam to a larger volume, separating the steam,without material condensation, from any water held in suspension,heating the steam to a high temperatu re,injecting the product into thefire-box of a steam-boiler and there burning it in conjunction withcarbonaceous fuel.

2. The method of utilizing exhaust-steam to assist in combustion,consisting in taking the steam from the exhaust-port of an engine,immediately expanding the steam, thereby reducing its pressure before ithas had an opportunity to absorb the water of condensation from theexhaust-port, separating from the steam the watery vapor therein withoutmaterial' condensation of the steam, immediately superheating the steamto ahigh temperature, and finally introducing the resultant productsthereof into the fire-box of a steam-boiler and there burning it inconjunction with carbonaceous fuel.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LINUS P. BURROWS. Witnesses:

C. A. NEALE, EUGENE A. BYRNES.

